Key Votes

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Vote Smart provides easy access to congressional and state voting records and maintains a collection of key votes grouped by issue. Vote Smart uses the following criteria to select key votes:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

Vote Smart provides a summary of the version of the bill text associated with each selected key vote. Our summaries are written by Vote Smart's staff and interns, who adhere to our strict policies and procedures in order to guarantee absolute impartiality and accuracy. They do not necessarily reflect the content of the final version of the bill, but rather the version voted on in that stage. While many procedural votes take place before a full chamber vote, our voting stages reflect the final reading of each chamber vote. Each key vote selection is reviewed by the project's community of advisors, who are political scientists and journalists from all fifty states.

For more information about the legislative process, see here.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
June 13, 2008 LA SB 672 Legislative Pay Increase Bill Passed - House (56 - 45)
June 12, 2008 National HR 5749 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008 Bill Passed - House (274 - 137)
June 12, 2008 RI H 7222 page 5, re: Sec. 3-8-9: Transportation of Alcohol by Minors Bill Passed - House (52 - 14)
June 11, 2008 LA SB 144 Castration of Sex Offenders Bill Passed - House (69 - 15)
June 5, 2008 CA SB 153 Property Transfer Bill Passed - House (45 - 29)
June 5, 2008 CA SB 153 Property Transfer Bill Passed - House (45 - 29)
May 29, 2008 SC H 4400 Immigration Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - House (94 - 16)
May 29, 2008 MS HB 17 Medicaid Funds Bill Bill Failed - House (55 - 53)
May 29, 2008 CA AB 2076 Prohibiting E-verify Bill Passed - House (43 - 31)
May 29, 2008 CA AB 2076 Prohibiting E-verify Bill Passed - House (43 - 31)
May 28, 2008 CA AB 2747 Disclosing End-of-Life Care Options Bill Passed - House (42 - 34)
May 28, 2008 CA AB 2716 Paid Sick Leave Bill Passed - House (45 - 33)
May 28, 2008 MS SB 2011 Increasing Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (87 - 33)
May 28, 2008 MS SB 2011 Increasing Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (87 - 33)
May 28, 2008 CA AB 2279 Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients Bill Passed - House (41 - 35)
May 28, 2008 CA AB 2368 CalWORKs Eligibility Bill Passed - House (46 - 33)
May 27, 2008 SC H 3567 Cigarette Tax Increase Veto Override Failed - House (54 - 57)
May 27, 2008 MI Byrnes Amdt: Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Exception For Rape And Incest Amendment Rejected - House (41 - 66)
May 27, 2008 CA AB 1996 Food Stamps for Convicted Drug Felons Bill Passed - House (42 - 35)
May 27, 2008 CA AB 2654 Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws Bill Passed - House (48 - 30)
May 27, 2008 MI SB 776 Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Bill Passed - House (74 - 32)
May 27, 2008 CA AB 2654 Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws Bill Passed - House (48 - 30)
May 27, 2008 MI SB 776 Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Bill Passed - House (74 - 32)
May 22, 2008 IL HB 2310 Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines Bill Passed - House (85 - 25)
May 22, 2008 OH HB 477 English Language for State Business Bill Passed - House (54 - 42)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/13 SB 672 Legislative Pay Increase Bill Passed - House (56 - 45)
6/12 HR 5749 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008 Bill Passed - House (274 - 137)
6/12 H 7222 page 5, re: Sec. 3-8-9: Transportation of Alcohol by Minors Bill Passed - House (52 - 14)
6/11 SB 144 Castration of Sex Offenders Bill Passed - House (69 - 15)
6/05 SB 153 Property Transfer Bill Passed - House (45 - 29)
6/05 SB 153 Property Transfer Bill Passed - House (45 - 29)
5/29 H 4400 Immigration Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - House (94 - 16)
5/29 HB 17 Medicaid Funds Bill Bill Failed - House (55 - 53)
5/29 AB 2076 Prohibiting E-verify Bill Passed - House (43 - 31)
5/29 AB 2076 Prohibiting E-verify Bill Passed - House (43 - 31)
5/28 AB 2747 Disclosing End-of-Life Care Options Bill Passed - House (42 - 34)
5/28 AB 2716 Paid Sick Leave Bill Passed - House (45 - 33)
5/28 SB 2011 Increasing Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (87 - 33)
5/28 SB 2011 Increasing Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (87 - 33)
5/28 AB 2279 Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients Bill Passed - House (41 - 35)
5/28 AB 2368 CalWORKs Eligibility Bill Passed - House (46 - 33)
5/27 H 3567 Cigarette Tax Increase Veto Override Failed - House (54 - 57)
5/27 Byrnes Amdt: Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Exception For Rape And Incest Amendment Rejected - House (41 - 66)
5/27 AB 1996 Food Stamps for Convicted Drug Felons Bill Passed - House (42 - 35)
5/27 AB 2654 Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws Bill Passed - House (48 - 30)
5/27 SB 776 Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Bill Passed - House (74 - 32)
5/27 AB 2654 Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws Bill Passed - House (48 - 30)
5/27 SB 776 Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Bill Passed - House (74 - 32)
5/22 HB 2310 Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines Bill Passed - House (85 - 25)
5/22 HB 477 English Language for State Business Bill Passed - House (54 - 42)

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